Pencil-sharpener



(No-Model.)

J; R- BALSLEY. PENCIL SHARPBNER.

N0. 574,374. Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

dab/7,9

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. BALSLEY, OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

PENClL-SHARPEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,374, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed March 17, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES R. BALSLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Connellsville in the'county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in pencil-Sharpeners, and has for its object to provide such a device which is adapted to sharpen a lead-pencil by cutting away the wood thereof after the manner of a rasp or file, and which will also serve as a protector to the protruding lead when the pencil is not in use.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth,and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a pencil having my improvement applied thereto; Fig 2, an enlarged view of one end of the pencil, a portion thereof being broken away so as to show the lead and the sharpener sectioned to illustrate the mode of operation upon the wood of the pencil; Fig. 3, an enlarged section of one end of the pencil and the sharpener, the latter being in a position to protect the protruding end of the lead; and Fig. a crosssection of the sharpener, looking toward the point, showing the cutters or rasping-points projecting therein.

' Similar letters denote like parts in the several views of the drawings.

In carrying out my improvement I prefer to form a sharpener so as to provide a body A, which is adapted to fit over the pencil and be held in position against accidental removal by a certain movement of spring action brought about by slots B, formed therein.

The outer end of the sharpener is tapered at C and has projecting from its inner surface a number of cutting-points D, so arranged as to cut or rasp away the wood of the pencil by Serial No. 583,599. (No model.)

revolving the latter Within the sharpener,and at the same time exerting sufficient pressure thereon to thrust the pencil forward against the cutters.

To, sharpen a pencil with my improvement, it is only necessary to run the end therein and continue to revolve the same, when the wood will gradually be cut or worn away until the end of the lead is left to protrude from the small opening E of the sharpener, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Should the cone become clogged with the chips or fil- 'ings from the Wood, it is readily cleaned by withdrawing the pencil and striking the sharpener a few blows upon any surface, which will cause the chips to drop out.

\Vhen the pencil is not in use and it is desirous to protect the point thereof, the sharpener is drawn forward sufficiently to project beyond the protruding end of the lead, as shown in Fig. 3, when the pencil may be carried in the pocket without danger of the lead being broken, as will be readily understood.

In the drawings I have shown the cutters formed by depressing small portions of the stock in the conical end of the sharpener, and it is obvious that these cutters may be formed in any well-known or desirable manner, such by securing a number of projections upon the inner walls of the conical end or by cast- It is deemed absolutely essential to provide the bodyA with slots for the purpose of cansing a portion thereof to bind with spring action upon the pencil, but if this is found desirable it may be accomplished in anyone of a number of ways, such as forming the slots in the center of the body, depressing portions thereof so as to bear against the wood, or by arranging a spring-washer at some convenient portion upon the body which will exert the desired pressure.

The arrangement of the cutters as shown will cut away the wood of the pencil in steps, but this may be overcome by zigzagging the cutters and making them of such length as to cause the cut of each to overlap that of the next adjacent and forming their inner edges upon the same taper as the cone 0, which will blend the cuts in one continuous line. The body A may be knurled or otherwise roughened, so as to give a better hold thereon, in order that the device maybe more conveniently operated.

Other slight modifications might be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, which rests in the broad idea of providing a sharpener which Will cut away the wood without interfering with the lead and Without the necessity of removing the cutter from the pencil While in operation, and which will also serve as a protector for the protruding end of the lead.

Having thus fully described myinvention, What I claim as new and useful is l. A pencil-sharpener consisting of a coneshaped receptacle having two or more series of teeth projecting from its inner side, one of II. J. SEAMAN, CHAS. IT. BALSLEY. 

